Wrench



Jan. 13, 1931. J. D. HARDESTY 1,789,175

WRENCH Filed May 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 115, 1931. J. D. HARDESTY WRENCH Filed May 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 c/T flfz ardesty ATTORNEY Patented Jan 13, 1931 Jesse's n. rARDnsrY; or sEYMonR, INDIANA WRENCH Application filedMay -.8; 1928; Seria-I'No. 276,155.

Mypresent'invention has reference to improvements in wrenches and my primary object is the construction of a wrench that includes a stationary and a movable jaw 5 with screw ineansfor adjusting the niovable' jaw with respect to'the' stationary Jaw, together with'means, associated with theshank of the stationary jaw designed to be gripped by the hand of the operator to canttheishank and to likewise impart a'l'ongitudinal movement of the movable jaw with respect to the stationary jaw, and whereby the gripping of'the wrench will efiect in producing a l vise-like engagement between the jaws upon the object engaged therebetween, and llkewise permit of the operator obtaining a fresh grip upon such object.

A further object is the provision of a wrench thatcomprises a stationary jaw having one of its inner edges formed with a sharpened tooth and integrally formed with an angularly arranged shank, a movable aw arranged on the shankand having an aetuatmg screw for adjust-mg the same toward or away from the fixed aw, the movable aw being also provided with a sharpened tooth to coengage with the first mentioned tooth and thereby produce a cutter for wire or the like; said shank being received in a hollow handle which is pivoted thereto and which has its outer end spring influenced. One 7 end of the handle is in contact with the actuating screw, while the shank is provided with a web that passes through an opening in the hollow handle which'web has itsouter edge headed to provide a gripping element for the operator to permit of the shank being swung on its pivot or the handle being 6 swung toward the shank to impart a longitudinal movement to the actuating screw and slide the movable jaw toward or away from the stationary aw.

'To the attainment of the foregoing and a "4'5 other objects which will present themselves as-the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention further consists in certain other novel features of construction, combination and operative association of V 50 parts, one satisfactory embodiment of which tionary jaw; The m'ovfableqimv 7 has a 9 is disclosedby the" accompanying drawings, Intlie drawings: i j

Figure I is' a side elevation of a wrench in accordance with this invention. 1 I

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof; 7 Fig-ure3 is a'bottom plan view thereof. i. Figure 4 is an approximately longitudinal sectional view th'ere'throu'gh, i t Figure is a similar sectional view but showing the' parts actuated to effect avi'selike gripping engagement of the jaws with an object therebetween. v H Figurefi is transverse sectional view ap-' proximatelyon the line-6%60f 'Figurelo. F igu-fe 7' isfa plan View of the actuating t w-f a Referring, now to the d p g r vings in detail, thefnu'meral 1 designates the stationary jaw of my improvement; This j a'w is formed on itsin'ner, face and what may be termed its top a central V slraped extension Q tha t affordsa toothli, The shank 3 which-is integrally formed "with. and, of c'ourse', arranged at right an'g'lesto the stationary jaw 1, has one of its edges, fromits outer endiarj-anged 7 atanangle and the said angle surface has a reduced portion to whic'liis fixedone end of an angle oraichedspring 4. The endof this s ring is in contact,with-tl1e' inner and top wall of a hollow handle 5 in which the rear portion of i the shank is received. A pivot 6 passes trai'isversely through the inner end of the hollow handleband through .the shank 3. 4 k 1 v f Arranged for slida'ble llll'i-VOIIlCllh-Oll the 8 shank 3 of course, outward'o f theil'iauklle 5, there is the ,niovable jaw 77; T1 iiiovaible jaw is formed: wi tl'i: a' tooth '8 wh'i'cli is disposed opposite the tooth 2 ,of the stathreaded socket 9 arranged therein and in this socket there is screwe'd onefend" of the actuating screw 10 the improvement.

he" screv'v' 10' has an outer rounded" operating head 11 which'is knurled and the head has its outer face convexed, as at 11. This convexed face-is formed with a*'sha nk 12 whose outer end enlarged and rounded to'provide the e' witlr'a' kirob'l is; The shank 12 is reeiva iii'tlierestricted pas-1* sage of a substantially T-shaped slot 14 in the inner end of the handle 5, the knob 13 being received in the widened passage of the said pocket. It is to be noted that the shank 12 and knob 13 are freely received in the T-shaped slot 14: and that the handle providedwith the T-shaped slot is at all times in contacting engagement with the which affords a head 17. The outer edge of the head isarched and the sameis round in cross section.

Normally the parts of my improved wrench are arranged in the position best illustrated by Figures 1 and 4 of the draw ings. The pocket 14 provides a loose connection between the handle 5 and one end of the actuating screw 10. The shank 3 is notched in'the usual manner to receive the rounded and knurled head of theactuating screw to permit of the freeturning thereof to adjust the movablejaw? with respect to the stationary jaw'l'. When the device is adjusted to receive an element to be cut between the teeth 2 and 8 or to receive'an object between the confronting and straight faces of the jaws land/7, the operator grasps the handle with the palm of his hand, and with his fingers engages the head 17, swinging the said head toward the handle and swinging theshankfi on" its pivot 6 against the tension of its spring 4, thus canting the jaw 1. This movement of the handle will cause the inner wall pro -vided by the widened passage of the pocket 14: to engage with the'knob 13 of the actuating screw 10 and by virtue of such engagement to impart a longitudinal movement to the slidable ijaw 7 with respect to the stationary jaw 1, thus automatically effecting a vise-like engagement of the aws with the article or obstacle therebetween. Thile in the showing of the drawin s I- have illustrated the active faces of the jaws as straight, it is obvious that the said faces, not provided with the teeth 2 and 8, may be concaved and t )othed.

IVhile I have iilustrated a satisfactory embodiment of my improved device, my features of invention are capable-of extended application and I do not wish to be shown and described. i I v 7 Having described theinvention, I claim:

A wrench comprising a jaw ihaving a right angle shank extending therefrom, .a jaw slidable on the shank having a threaded socket entering from its rear face,

handle having a direct bearing on the convex face of theoperating head, and the bore of the handle being of a greater diameter than the thickness of the portion of the shank received in said handle, said handle having one of its faces provided with an opening, a web removahly fixed on the shank and passing through the opening inthe handle and said web" having an outer laterally extending finger portion and a spring fixed on the shank exerting a pressure against one wall of the'bore of thehandle to normally force the finger portion through said opening.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa V ture.

JOSEPH D. HARDEST'Y.

' limited to the precise structure, herein 

